RAF Secure Commanding U23 Victory

The RAF overpowered the Navy U23s with a commanding 47-14 victory in the opening U23 Inter-Service clash of 2025. Despite a spirited response, including a try from co-captain Freddy Elliot, the Navy struggled to match the RAF’s pace and precision. Clinical in attack and ruthless in execution, the RAF capitalised on every opportunity, pulling away in the second half to seal an emphatic win.

On Wednesday the RAF hosted the RNRU U23’s at Strourbridge RFC in what was the first U23 Inter-Service fixture of 2025. With plenty of hype before the game the young RN team were well prepared to take on their RAF counterparts following a good showing in their final warm up game the previous week.

On a calm yet drizzly night at Stourton Park there were plenty of eager services rugby fans ready to cheer on their team, and the game got off to a flying start. With the RAF gaining early pressure in the RN half, some crunching offensive tackles from the Navy’s co-captain Freddy Elliot and Sailosi Tamailebo ensured the RN weathered the early pressure.

The first 15 minutes were competitive with each of the team’s fly-halfs exchanging long kicks into territory but following some good lineout work the RAF were able to recycle the ball quickly to the right wing for their MotM Jay Smith to skip a couple of tackles and dot down for the first score of the game. With the conversion successful, the RAF led 7 - 0.

The Navy needed to get a foothold in the game and some excellent ball carrying by the Navy centres, Elliot and Over caught the RAF off guard with each making big gains. The set pieces between the two teams were well matched with the RN pack holding their own against their larger RAF counterparts in the scrums.

Sustained pressure in the Navy half led to a further RAF score through a midfield line break which stretched the RAF lead to 14. The Navy needed a response, and following some good territorial kicking from fly-half George Edson and ball carrying from Jack Deveraux and Jay Smith, a loose ball was collected by Elliot who crashed over for the first RN score of the evening. With the conversion successful the Navy now trailed 14-7.

It was clear that the RAF could move the ball quickly to their wide players with Smith again finding space and freedom to move despite some good defensive work from Navy wing Max Watkins. The RAF number 14 scoring his second of the night with the conversion missed, and following a quick RAF penalty, the RAF stretched their lead to 22-7. Further scores from the RAF pack, one on the stroke of halftime, was split by a Ben Smith score amongst a pile of players following some good work on the RAF tryline left the halftime scores 27-14.

In the second half the Navy needed to come out of the blocks quickly, knowing the first score was critical in determining the games momentum. Unfortunately for the Navy team, some more excellent wide play by the RAF, was quickly recycled and a short-range score by the RAF front row extended the score. The Navy was finding opportunities to score, with their driving maul working well in the RAF 22, they couldn’t quite find the tryline and this was duly punished by the ruthless RAF backline who were now finding more space amongst the tired scattered players from both teams.

The Navy was unable to find answers, despite both Navy co-captains – Smith and Elliot, leading by example, wave after wave of RAF attacks were stifling any kind of advance. RAF tries were becoming regular and two quick scores, one from a cross-field kick, in the last five minutes of the game finished off what began as an evenly contested game but ended in a ruthless performance from the RAF. The final scores finishing 47 - 14 in favour of the RAF. In true services rugby fashion, the Navy team fought until the final whistle but were ultimately outclassed by an exceptional RAF team who were clinical every time they entered the Navy 22.

The Navy team will now regroup for the home fixture against the Army on the 19^th at Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, KO 1900.

Navy U23s: J Arrowsmith, L Evans, J Deveraux; F Harvey, S Tamailebo; B Smith (CC), A Greenland, J Smith; E Bailey, G Edson, M Watkins, F Elliott (CC), C Over, J Cross, J Spence.

Replacements: C Tant, F Walls, T Ashton, O Doyle, M Betteridge, L Leeman, B Coughlan, M Emtage.

Words by Matt Bowden